Tanzania: Coastal and Maasai Cultures

This past summer I went on a five week trip to Tanzania with eleven other students I had never met before and it was an invaluable experience. This trip was focused on language and cultural discovery so we would have daily Swahili lessons and were always learning about the new areas we traveled to. As a group we really clicked right away, none of us knew each other before but when you are with new people in a new place it is very easy to relate and connect. Our two group leaders also really helped with bonding and debriefing after days filled with excitement, we would talk about questions we might have about this new place, or funny stories that happened from the day. Our group was filled of many different personalities but we were able to connect and relate. One of my favorite parts of the trip was the home stay, we got to stay in a small coastal village with a family, we ate meals together and would spend whole days without seeing the other group members. At first this was scary, having to be with a family that didn’t know English very well and I didn’t know their language very well wither but it ended up being the best and most memorable experience. We saw elephants, beautiful mountains, artwork, performances, this trip was just filled with so many learning experiences and amazing things. The Experiment really focuses on being students and not tourists and I really enjoyed that aspect, we weren’t standing on the sidelines observing, we were relating, getting involved, and asking questions about the real culture.